Journal-bearing.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 17, 1906,

Application filed April 17, 1906. Serial No. 312,228.

- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J ACOB N. YATES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grafton, in the county of Taylor and State of West 5 Virginia, have invented a new and useful J ournal-Bearing, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to journal-bearings for railway cars, trucks, and other rollingstock, and has for its object to provide an antifriction bearing which is comparatively simple in construction, eifective in operation, and one in which friction and wear on the several parts are reduced to a minimum.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bearing having a plurality of cylindrical rollers disposed concentric with the journal and provided with terminal teeth adapted to mesh with corresponding teeth formed in the journal-box, said rollers being free to move in a direction of their length to allow for necessary end play when the vehicle is traveling around curves.

A further object is to provide means for spacing the antifriction-rollers and means for applying lubricant to the journal.

A still further object of the invention is to generally improve this class of devices, so as to increase their utility, durability, and efficiency.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction andnovel combination and arrangement ofparts hereinafter fully described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

- In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of a j ournal-bearing constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in both of the figures of the drawings.

The improved device consists of a ournalbox, preferably formed in two sections 5 and 6, detachably secured together in any suit able manner, as by bolts or other suitable fastening devices 7, and in which is mounted for rotation the axle or journal 8. The axle or journal 8 is formed with an annular shoulder 9, adapted to slidably engage an annular stop-flange 10, projecting inwardly from the sections comprising the journal-box, while the outer end of said ournal terminates in the laterally-extending stop-flange 1 1, the peripheral edge of which is preferably disposed in substantially horizontal alinement with. the free edge of the stop-flange 10 and is of the same height as the shoulder 9, as shown.

The shoulders 9 of the axle or journal on each side of the car slide freely beneath the adjacent stop-flanges 10 and at times engage the terminals of the rollers and spindles, the longitudinal movement of the journal within the box on one side of the car being limited by the flanges 10 on the opposite j ournal-box which bear against the adjacent rollers and spindles and force the same in contact with the stop-flanges 10 of said box.

The lower section 6 of the journal-box i hollowed out to form a chamber 12, adapted to receive a quantity of waste or other lubricant 12, said lubricant being introduced into the chamber 12 through an opening 13, normally closed by a pivoted lid or cover 14, as shown.

The interior walls of the journal-box are formed with spaced circular racks 15, and mounted for rotation in the j ournal-box and disposed concentric with the shaft 8 are a plurality of cylindrical rollers 16, the opposite ends of which are formed with teeth 17, adapted to mesh with the teeth on the racks. Extending transversely across the chamber 12 is a web or track 18, alsoformed with a rack 19, which forms a continuation of the forward rack 15. The rollers 16 are of greater length than the distance between the racks 15 and are free to move in the direction of their length, so as to allow for end play when the car is traveling around the curves, the notches 20, forming the teeth 17, being preferably countersunk, so as to permit free sliding movement of the rollers and also to permit said rollers to bear against the journal and interior of the journal-box, respectively.

The rollers 16 are spaced apart by longitudinally-disposed spindles 21, each provided with one or more spacing wheels or disks 22, which may bear against either the rollers or the interior walls of the journal-box, the peripheral edges of the wheels or disksbeing preferably curved or rounded, as shown, so as to reduce friction between the parts to a minimum. It will thus be seen that the for ward longitudinal movement of the rollers and spindles is limitedby engagement with the stop-flange 11, while the rearward movement thereof is limited by the flange 10.

While the device is especially designed for use on cars and other rolling-stock, it is obvious that the same may be used. with equally good results on carriages, wagons, s nafting, or wherever a bearing of this character is found desirable.

When the device is used as a bearing for wagons, mine and lumber trucks, and other vehicles having a -fixedaxle and revolving wheels, the journal-box will preferably be disposed Within the wheel.

From the foregoing description it is thought that the construction and operation of the device may be readily understood by those skilled in the art, and further descrip tion thereof is deemed unnecessary.

Having thus described. the invention, what is claimed is- 1. I11 a journal-bearing, a journal-box having its interior walls formed with circular racks, a journal mounted for rotation within the box, a plurality of longitudinallymovable anti'l'riction-rollers mounted for rotation between the journal and the interior walls of the journal-box and provided. with teeth adapted to engage the teeth on the racks, means for spacing said rollers, and means for limiting the longitudinal movement of the same.

2. In a journal-bearing, a journal-box having its interior walls formed with circular racks, a journal mounted for rotation within the box, a plurality of longitudinally-movable rollers interposed between the journal and interior walls of the box and provided with teeth adapted to engage the teeth of the racks, means for limiting the longitudinal movement of the rollers, and spindles interposed between the adjacent rollers and provided with spacing members.

3. In a journal-bearing, a journal-box having its interior walls formed with circular racks and provided at one end with an inwardly extending stop flange, a journal mounted for rotation within the box and provided with a corresponding stop-flange, longitudinally-movable antifriction rollers interposed between the journal and the interior walls of the journal-box and provided with teeth adapted to engage the teeth on the racks, and spindles interposed between adjacent rollers and provided with spacingwheels.

4. In a journal-bearing, a sectional journal-box one section of which is formed with a chamber adapted to contain a lubricant, a track extending transversely across said chamber and spaced from the bottom thereof, said track being provided with a rack, a rack formed on the adjacent section of the box and forming a continuation of the rack on the track, antifriction-rollers interposed between the journal and the interior Walls of the journal-box and provided with teeth adapted to engage said racks, and spindles interposed between the rollers.

5. In a journal-bearing, a journal-box having its interior walls formed with circular racks, a journal mounted for rotation in the box and provided with a terminal stopl'lange, longitudinally-movable antifrictionrollers interposed between the journal and the interior walls of the journal-box and provided with countersunk teeth adapted to engage the teeth on the racks, and means for spacing the rollers.

6. In a journal-bearing, a journal-box com prising a plurality of detachable sections one of which is formed with a chamber adapted to contain a lubricant, a track extending transversely across the chamber and spaced from the bottom thereof, a ournal mounted for rotation within the box, antifriction-rollers interposed between the journal and the interior walls of the journal-box and means for spacing the rollers.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

, JACOB N. YATES. Witnesses:

H. G. OWEN, Jr., LLOYD W. BROWN. 

